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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> I probably tricked them.  The white carrot seed I saved was from several 
> plants with hoplessly twisted roots (hence didn't get harvested) that were started 
> in my infamous tubes in January.  The plant though it was in its second year 
> and bolted to seed, a LOT of seed.  The seed stayed on the brown and dried 
> tops for weeks.  I just put several tops in a paper bag and whacked it around and 
> got half a cup of seeds.

Did you tie the bag to the plant or cut the head and put it in a bag, or 
maybe bend the stalk without cutting to make it to where the bag opening 
is up?
I never seem to be able to catch the plant at exactly the right time.  I 
put a bag over the top the plant at the seed head and tie the bag off as 
best I can using waxed string.  Small seeded stuff somehow manages to 
find it's way out of the bag.  The one time I tried bending the stalk to 
make the bag 'upright' instead of upside down, a goose beat me to the 
bag and I got no seeds. So, I don't know if that technique will work or 
not.  We have a fair amount of wind here, esp in the spring and fall.
After rereading, it sounds like you cut the tops..how do you keep the 
seeds from shattering when you cut the heads off?  Do you age the seeds 
at all in the bag or do you collect seed immediately?

> Last year I saved seeds from my brocoli, several kinds of kale, mizuna, corn 
> salad, arugula, tsa-tsoi, turnips, parsnips, beets (a very few), onions, 
> several kinds of radishes, several kinds of lettuce and a few other small seeded 
> plants.  I found the key was to plan ahead and leave a square foot or two of a 
> plant where it can hang around undisturbed. 

I'll try that.  I don't grow most of that stuff, but I would like to be 
able to save seed for radishes, lettuce and onions

Bev

--
Bevanron of EarthNSky Farm   Sleep well tonight, for somewhere in the 
ocean's depths, MY son is protecting YOUR freedom.